Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1887-01-22

the mule tea q and my trusteeship ended
as [ handed over to Brown tae considera
ton as received from Briggs. Perhaps, il
these days of legal formalities, this may
appear as not altogether an imperviou
manner of lawful transfer, but in those
days it was 'as good as the bank"
We led the procession from the office,
Nettie and I, and whether it was by COM
mon consent or accident, [ can't say, but
We found ourselves again on the fallen
pine, nor did we stay but a brief moment
Somehow emboldened by an influence new
to me, said words to her | had notdream-
ed Of saying when first we sat down. With
tender earnest speech | asked her the mo-
mentous question, her answer came softly
yes. Of course I wont tell you all that
was said on that gloriously beautiful bright
night; nor you wont ask it.
Nettie Allen was to be my wife. With
a tumultuous pride of JOY | led her down
the steep trail on our homeward way.
| had just left her at Carolan's door
when the crack of three revolver Shots
pierced the night air. Down the main
street there was a rush and tumult toward
the Palmetto saloon, and when | reached
the doorway I heard that Warfeld had
been shot by the stranger.
How | penetrated the solid phalanx [
don't know, but in a few seconds / was
standing at Browns side, who with smok-
ing revolver in hand was backed up against
the wall. They were lifting from the floor
the wounded man, when he motioned them
to desist.
"My evidence did it Brown" he said
half raising himself on his elbow.
He spoke no more. The gushing tor
rent of life blood choked his utterance and
he fell back dead.
5"Joe fired frst,' said a tall fellow known
as Jake.
Eyes, and second, too,' put in Calaveras
Jack.
An inquest was held that night, and on
the testimony Of Ike, Calaveras Jack and
several others, it was proven that "Joe.
Warfield fred two shots at the stranger.
TIE stranger was mighty slow OF the draw
but scored a bulls eye
The verdict was self-defense and Brown
was free.
The stranger and Warfeld had been
talking together at the bar, when all at
once Joe pulled and fired, was the account
the b%ystanders gave of its commencement.
Brown said but little that night to me-,
only ale was Jack Waters, sure enough"
Next morning Nettie begged Brown to
tell her all about it, but he only said:
"Wait, child, till we get home"
They were gone. It seemed as if the
of those great blue eyes had made
the sunlight less bright and the moons
rays paler. 1t was my first, my only love.
I remembered only W things distinctly.
One was the soft-yes, the other-when /
am eighteen. Tonight can recall every
word, my memory retains every look.
Two months had rolled by; our letters
had been both frequent and fond, when
came a silence of over a week. then
letter from Brown.
Nettie had been very sick, shad a queer
he wrote s:and she's be CALM and
for you"
In a double sense, love had wings.
To provide myself with money and take
the returning stage was my first move.
Though the driver cracked his whip and
the horses trotted briskly, the old coach
a slow coach for my impatient spirit.
The steamboat down the river seemed to
make a great splurge in the water but my
Imagination prompted me to believe her
.addle-wheels turned slowly. And though |
I opened the front gate at Browns ranch
fifty hours after the commencement
Of my journey I felt that I had been on
The road q week.